FEDERAL PRIORITIES

Today, more than 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s. As America continues on its current path of aging, by 2050, those living with the disease will more than triple. And though already our nation’s costliest disease, the economic burden of Alzheimer’s will more than quadruple in that same time. Alzheimer’s is a growing public health crisis for our families and the economy. The federal government must address the challenges the disease poses and take bold action to confront this urgent crisis, now.

The Alzheimer’s Impact Movement is committed to working with the federal government on policies that improve the lives of those affected by Alzheimer’s. To do so we support:

Alzheimer’s is the most expensive disease in America, costing an estimated $277 billion in 2018. By mid-century, as the number of people living with the disease is set to nearly triple, the costs to our economy are projected to reach more than $1 trillion, with two-thirds of these costs paid by Medicare and Medicaid. While Congress has recently provided additional funding for Alzheimer’s research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the commitment continues to fall far short of the need. In 2018, for every $100 that the NIH spends on Alzheimer’s research, Medicare and Medicaid will spend $10,200 caring for those with the disease. Congress must continue its commitment to the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementias by increasing funding for Alzheimer’s research by at least an additional $425 million in fiscal year 2019. Learn more and take action!

Alzheimer’s is an urgent public health crisis impacting our nation’s health care infrastructure. Investing in a nationwide public health response to this crisis will improve quality of life for those living with the disease and their caregivers, and reduce associated costs for individuals and the government. The Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 2076/H.R. 4256) would combat this crisis. The bill would create a much needed Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure to address Alzheimer’s. This critical legislation would establish Alzheimer's centers of excellence across the country, provide funding to public health departments to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions, and increase data collection, analysis and reporting to measure progress and help identify opportunities for public health interventions. Learn more. Learn more and take action!

Nearly half of all people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias are in hospice care at the time of their death. However, less than half of surveyed nursing homes have some sort of palliative care program. For people with advanced dementia, such team-based care — which focuses on managing and easing symptoms, reducing pain and stress, and increasing comfort — improves quality of life, controls costs, and enhances patient and family satisfaction. But, as the demand for such coordinated care grows with the aging population, more must be done to ensure an adequately trained workforce. The Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act (S. 693/H.R. 1676) would increase palliative care and hospice training for health care professionals, launch a national campaign to inform patients and families about the benefits of palliative care, and enhance research on improving the delivery of palliative care. Learn more and take action!